Posted on 06/25/2004 7:09:26 AM PDT by ijcr
Like the battle at the Alamo, the one fought at the Little Bighorn has entered the realm where history and legend merge. The basic facts are these: on June 25, 1876, seventh U.S. Cavalry troops commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer came upon history's largest known encampment of Indians beside the Little Bighorn River.
In the battle that followed, Custer and all the men with him—more than 260—were wiped out by the Sioux warriors of Chiefs Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse as well as Cheyenne warriors.
Ironically, the Native Americans' victory hastened their own downfall, as Custer's loss motivated the U.S. government to move even more aggressively against the Indians.
In a sense, Custer never died. Scores of books and movies have been dedicated to his "Last Stand," and even today the battlefield site is the subject of controversy.
Through the 1980s, the National Monument was called the Custer Battlefield, and events were interpreted in favor of Custer and his men.
In 1991 the Park Service changed the name to Little Bighorn Battlefield to introduce a more balanced interpretation of events. A memorial planned to commemorate the Indians who died in the battle promises a neutral interpretation, although its critics charge that it tips the scale too far the other way.
Gravestones mark the last stand of Custer and his men.
Did anyone happen to catch the program on the History Channel where archeologists applied forensic sciences and analysis to the battlefield? According to the data they uncovered, the battle was even shorter than what was conventionally thought. The Sioux had superior firepower in the way of repeating rifles (Army had single shot), overwhelming numbers, intimate knowledge of the terrain and more mobility (would not have hesitated to use their horses for shields)........
None. They were Lakota Sioux........
Let Bacchus’ sons be not dismayed,
But join with me each jovial blade,
Come booze and sing, and lend your aid,
To help me with the chorus.
Chorus;
Instead of spa we’ll drink down ale,
And pay the reck’ning on the nail,
No man for debt shall go to jail,
For Garryowen in glory.
We are the boys that take delight in,
Smashing the Limerick lights when lighting
Through the streets like sporters fighting,
And clearing all before us.
Chorus
We’ll break windows, we’ll bread down doors
The watch knock down by threes and fours,
The let the doctors work their cures
And tinker up out bruises.
Chorus
We’ll beat the bailiffs out of fun,
We’ll make the Mayor and Sheriffs run,
We are the boys no man dares dun,
If he regards a whole skin.
Chorus
Our hearts so stout have got us fame,
for soon t’is known from whence we came
Where’re we go they dread the name
Of Garryowen in glory.
I guess I worder my post badly. Reno and Benteen did an amazing job defending thier positions, but once Custer and his group were lost it was just a matter of time before their men would fall to the sheer numbers and fire power of the enemy.
Why is this referred to as a "massacre"?
Custer attacked them.
If this is a "massacre", then the 9-11 hijackers were all massacred.............
The poor soldierds of the Seventh Cavalry deserve our respect and honor. They died for their country. Unfortunately they were victims of one man's ego and incompetence.
The equally brave Souix and Cheyenne deserve our respect and honor as they died for THEIR country.
Custer deserves a grave in a dunghill. He was a vicious martinent, an arrogant fool, and criminally incompetent.
His entire service record demonstrates the behavior of a man enamoured with his own ego and greatness, reckless fearlessness and total disregard for any prudence in warfare.
Putting that man in charge of an independent command was a catastrophic error.
And for all you lovers of "Squaw-Killer Yellow Hair" out there, there are just as many military experts who agree with that assessment as don't. Probably more.
Thought you would find this interesting.
I believe it was Crazy Horse who later said that the Mounties were the most professional soldiers he ever encountered. At the time, they had a reputation for being highly disciplined, very accommodating, but quite ruthless when they had to be. This was a function of the way they had to operate in small numbers in very remote areas. Anyone who dared to kill a Mountie in those days was hunted down and "brought to justice" -- and never seen or heard from again.
the Garry-Owens...thanks :)
HA!...I'll do the honors...Drum Roll *snare*. :)
An Eyewitness Account by the Lakota Chief Red Horse
recorded in pictographs and text
at the Cheyenne River Reservation, 1881
Five springs ago I, with many Sioux Indians, took down and packed up our tipis and moved from Cheyenne river to the Rosebud river, where we camped a few days; then took down and packed up our lodges and moved to the Little Bighorn river and pitched our lodges with the large camp of Sioux.
The Sioux were camped on the Little Bighorn river as follows: The lodges of the Uncpapas were pitched highest up the river under a bluff. The Santee lodges were pitched next. The Oglala's lodges were pitched next. The Brule lodges were pitched next. The Minneconjou lodges were pitched next. The Sans Arcs' lodges were pitched next. The Blackfeet lodges were pitched next. The Cheyenne lodges were pitched next. A few Arikara Indians were among the Sioux (being without lodges of their own). Two-Kettles, among the other Sioux (without lodges).
I was a Sioux chief in the council lodge. My lodge was pitched in the center of the camp. The day of the attack I and four women were a short distance from the camp digging wild turnips. Suddenly one of the women attracted my attention to a cloud of dust rising a short distance from camp. I soon saw that the soldiers were charging the camp. To the camp I and the women ran. When I arrived a person told me to hurry to the council lodge. The soldiers charged so quickly we could not talk (council). We came out of the council lodge and talked in all directions. The Sioux mount horses, take guns, and go fight the soldiers. Women and children mount horses and go, meaning to get out of the way.
Among the soldiers was an officer who rode a horse with four white feet. [This officer was evidently Capt. French, Seventh Cavalry.] The Sioux have for a long time fought many brave men of different people, but the Sioux say this officer was the bravest man they had ever fought. I don't know whether this was Gen. Custer or not. Many of the Sioux men that I hear talking tell me it was. I saw this officer in the fight many times, but did not see his body. It has been told me that he was killed by a Santee Indian, who took his horse. This officer wore a large-brimmed hat and a deerskin coat. This officer saved the lives of many soldiers by turning his horse and covering the retreat. Sioux say this officer was the bravest man they ever fought. I saw two officers looking alike, both having long yellowish hair.
Before the attack the Sioux were camped on the Rosebud river. Sioux moved down a river running into the Little Bighorn river, crossed the Little Bighorn river, and camped on its west bank.
This day [day of attack] a Sioux man started to go to Red Cloud agency, but when he had gone a short distance from camp he saw a cloud of dust rising and turned back and said he thought a herd of buffalo was coming near the village.
The day was hot. In a short time the soldiers charged the camp. [This was Maj. Reno's battalion of the Seventh Cavalry.] The soldiers came on the trail made by the Sioux camp in moving, and crossed the Little Bighorn river above where the Sioux crossed, and attacked the lodges of the Uncpapas, farthest up the river. The women and children ran down the Little Bighorn river a short distance into a ravine. The soldiers set fire to the lodges. All the Sioux now charged the soldiers and drove them in confusion across the Little Bighorn river, which was very rapid, and several soldiers were drowned in it. On a hill the soldiers stopped and the Sioux surrounded them. A Sioux man came and said that a different party of Soldiers had all the women and children prisoners. Like a whirlwind the word went around, and the Sioux all heard it and left the soldiers on the hill and went quickly to save the women and children.
From the hill that the soldiers were on to the place where the different soldiers [by this term Red-Horse always means the battalion immediately commanded by General Custer, his mode of distinction being that they were a different body from that first encountered] were seen was level ground with the exception of a creek. Sioux thought the soldiers on the hill [i.e., Reno's battalion] would charge them in rear, but when they did not the Sioux thought the soldiers on the hill were out of cartridges. As soon as we had killed all the different soldiers the Sioux all went back to kill the soldiers on the hill. All the Sioux watched around the hill on which were the soldiers until a Sioux man came and said many walking soldiers were coming near. The coming of the walking soldiers was the saving of the soldiers on the hill. Sioux can not fight the walking soldiers [infantry], being afraid of them, so the Sioux hurriedly left.
The soldiers charged the Sioux camp about noon. The soldiers were divided, one party charging right into the camp. After driving these soldiers across the river, the Sioux charged the different soldiers [i.e., Custer's] below, and drive them in confusion; these soldiers became foolish, many throwing away their guns and raising their hands, saying, "Sioux, pity us; take us prisoners." The Sioux did not take a single soldier prisoner, but killed all of them; none were left alive for even a few minutes. These different soldiers discharged their guns but little. I took a gun and two belts off two dead soldiers; out of one belt two cartridges were gone, out of the other five.
The Sioux took the guns and cartridges off the dead soldiers and went to the hill on which the soldiers were, surrounded and fought them with the guns and cartridges of the dead soldiers. Had the soldiers not divided I think they would have killed many Sioux. The different soldiers [i.e., Custer's battalion] that the Sioux killed made five brave stands. Once the Sioux charged right in the midst of the different soldiers and scattered them all, fighting among the soldiers hand to hand.
One band of soldiers was in rear of the Sioux. When this band of soldiers charged, the Sioux fell back, and the Sioux and the soldiers stood facing each other. Then all the Sioux became brave and charged the soldiers. The Sioux went but a short distance before they separated and surrounded the soldiers. I could see the officers riding in front of the soldiers and hear them shooting. Now the Sioux had many killed. The soldiers killed 136 and wounded 160 Sioux. The Sioux killed all these different soldiers in the ravine.
The soldiers charged the Sioux camp farthest up the river. A short time after the different soldiers charged the village below. While the different soldiers and Sioux were fighting together the Sioux chief said, "Sioux men, go watch soldiers on the hill and prevent their joining the different soldiers." The Sioux men took the clothing off the dead and dressed themselves in it. Among the soldiers were white men who were not soldiers. The Sioux dressed in the soldiers' and white men's clothing fought the soldiers on the hill.
The banks of the Little Bighorn river were high, and the Sioux killed many of the soldiers while crossing. The soldiers on the hill dug up the ground [i.e., made earth-works], and the soldiers and Sioux fought at long range, sometimes the Sioux charging close up. The fight continued at long range until a Sioux man saw the walking soldiers coming. When the walking soldiers came near the Sioux became afraid and ran away.
FAME?? Well...He is in the Book, The Greatest Military Blunders.
Fought bravely, my butt. I love how all these articles portraying such a gallant "Last Stand" and such all leave out several important details, such as:
1. before the battle was joined, Custer sent troops to try and take the women and children hostages so he could have a "Bargaining Chip" to get the Indians to surrender, and
2. There was no "Last Stand" as is often protrayed in popular films, paintings, and books, but several stands as the indians took cavalry position after position to the point that one large contingent of troops fled the battlefield attempting to escape, and were in thr process of being chased down while Custer's position was in the process of being taken out... Custer was killed way before the battle was over. And good riddance.
Add Chief Low Dogs account of the fighting and that of Custer's last dispatch rider and Reno's and Benteen's men and one has a much better history than the silly forensic studies. For one thing cartridge cases were used on the battlefield witing 20 years of the "Last Stand". There was instant nostalgia and a battlefield reunion only ten years after the battle.
The nearest telegraph key in the Dekotas pushed 50,000 words of news of the battle in less than 36 hours as the battle was fought in the age of electronic communications. Mrs. Custer lived to see the battle depicted by Hollywood in silent films and she lived on into the sound film era as well.
I find battlegrounds to be very spiritual places. The Battleground of the Little Big Horn is no exception. You can almost hear the shouts. We will be visiting it again in July.
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